Coda: Google Play fee changes after Epic settlement, link-outs, and a Registered App Stores program (rolling out from June 30, 2026)

Original article (source): Coda (Liz Adam) - “An Epic Shift for Android: What Google’s New Play Store Rules Mean for Game Publishers” (published March 6, 2026)

• https://www.coda.co/blog/epic-v-google-policy-update-2026/

First: this is a vendor post, but the breakdown is still handy

Coda is an out-of-app commerce vendor, so the post is not neutral, but it provides a readable summary of Google’s announced changes (and links to primary sources).

The main changes (as described)

The post says Google is restructuring Play fees and payments flexibility (post-Epic settlement context), including:

• A tiered service fee model for in-app purchases, split by new vs existing installs.
• Subscriptions: it calls out 10% service fee (and notes a “first $1M” framing in the US).
• A separate billing fee in some regions if developers use Google Play Billing.
• Link-outs allowed, but a service fee applies to purchases completed within 24 hours of clicking the in-app link.

It also flags rollout timing:

• begins June 30, 2026 in the US, UK, and EEA, then expands through 2027.

Distribution angle: “Registered App Stores” program

The post highlights Google’s announced Registered App Stores program, aimed at making installation of approved third-party app stores less painful (still with safety/quality requirements).

This matters even if you never plan to distribute outside Play because:

• the threat of alternative stores changes negotiation leverage
• it can change user expectations about where “safe installs” come from

Practical app marketing takeaways

• If you’re planning web store / link-out tests, you need a fees and UX map by region, not one global assumption.
• App teams should expect product and marketing to share ownership here: payments policy changes become funnel design constraints, not just “legal text”.

What to do next (tiny wins)

• Write a one-page region map: where can users install, where can they pay, and what is the fee stack (Play billing vs alt billing vs link-out).
• Update lifecycle and in-app messaging copy to avoid “bait-and-switch” language if your pricing differs by channel.

Read the original: https://www.coda.co/blog/epic-v-google-policy-update-2026/